The present invention relates to a cross-country vehicle that moves by means of a walking motion. A vehicle of this kind, which is fitted with four leg units, is known from European patent application No. 0074286, of the International Robotic Engineering Incorporated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,423 (Sato) describes a vehicle that even has six leg units. Movement of the leg units to match the terrain necessitates an extremely costly control system.
Much simpler in design and in the control system that it uses is the driveable power shovel described in Swiss Patent No. CH-PS 508 (Menzi AG). This vehicle has two non-driven wheels, the height of which can be adjusted, and can move independently with the help of the shovel arm. However, it does not move in a continuous manner, since the apparatus has to be settled on its feet after each step, before the next step can be made.